Kiritsuke Gyuto is a cross between traditional kiritsuke and gyuto. The profile of the cutting edge is generally straighter and the tip is cut, similar to the kiritsuke, while the double bevel is characteristic of the gyuto. Kiritsuke Gyuto acts as a chef's knife in your kitchen and can do most of the tasks. It is usually found between 210 and 270 mm.

Manaka Hamono Tanrenjo was founded in 1872 in the town of Kasukabe, Saitama prefecture. Kisuke Manaka (real name: Shunsuke Manaka), represents the 5th generation of Manaka blacksmiths, although he is not a direct descendant of the Manaka line, since he became interested in blacksmithing when he married into the Manaka family.

His father-in-law (4th generation) had not mastered the art of forging and was a knife merchant who relied on the reputation of the Manaka forge to sell blades not forged by himself. As his father-in-law was unable to teach him the art of forging, Kisuke Manaka taught himself using the tools and forge books left behind by his 3rd-generation step-grandfather. He learned to master all aspects of forging, and is best known for his mastery of the Warikomi method, which he even extended to stainless steels such as ats-34 and zdp-189.

Shirogami #2 translates to: Shiro (white) and Gami (Steel) and thus; white steel #2. It is named after the color of the package it was wrapped in at Hitachi Metals. The composition of this steel is very pure and contains almost only iron and carbon (1.05%-1.2%). It is in the hands of very experienced blacksmiths that one realizes the enormous potential of Shirogami #2. The quality of the heat treatment and a lower temperature forging are key elements that can allow Shirogami #2 to compete with and even surpass many modern steels. Try a Shiro #2 blade forged by Tanaka-san, Kisuke Manaka-san or Yoshikane Forge and you will see!